Aerial vessel.



J. J. DO-NNELLY.

AERIAL VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.18,1909.

1,014,648, Patented Jan. 16,1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Quito Mau 'mvawto'c auto M1013 I J. J. DONNELLY AERIAL VESSEL.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN.18, 1909.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

2 8HEETSSHEET 2.

724 twin/5,11 1% To all whom it may ooacem:

JOHN .1. DONNELLY, or DENVER, commo.

AERIAL VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

Application filed January 18, 1909. Serial No. 472,991.-

- Be it known that I,J 0111av J. DoNNnLLY, a citizen of .the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Vessels; andI do declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompany ing drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in aerial vessels of theheavier-than-air class.

basket or receptacle-having My improved construction comprises a ahinged connection with the propell ng mechanism. This mechanism consistsof a suitable motor, a pairof shafts, one passing axially through thecenter of the other, the said shafts be" ing upwardly directed and eachequipped with a propelling wheel. The gear connection between the motorand the shafts is suchthat when the apparatus is .in use the propellersrotate in opposite directions,

thus neutralizing the tendency of the basket to rotate, which conditionwould obtain it either a single shaft were used or if the two shaftsrotated in the same direction. The propellers are so constructed thatthey can e used to propel the vessel both upwardly and forwardly whilerotating in reverse directions. This, of course, is accomplished bysetting the blades of the two propeller wheels in reverse positions.When the apparatus is in use the propeller shafts should occupy aposition forming amoderate angle with the vertical, in order that thepower of the propellers shall be utilized to move the vesselsimultaneously both upwardly and forwardly. In other words, thedirection in which the vessel travels is approximately indicated by theposition of the rotary shafts. The angle of these shafts, or theirinclina-x tion is maintained by so arranging the mechanism that theshafts shall be connected therewith beyond or outside of the center ofgravity, the equilibrium of the apparatus being destroyed to such anextent t at when the propellers are in motion the tendency of the shaftsto assume the vertical position shall be sufliciently overcome by theweight of the "motor,.and other mechanism.

to maintain the shafts in the desired posin clination. As shown in thedrawing, the

basket is equipped with four pulleys journaled in bracket arms. A cableengages these pulleys, its extremities being connected with a collarloosely mounted upon the hollow shaft of the propelling mechanism. Thiscableis given a complete turn around one of the pulleys in order toprevent the basket from shifting its position when properly adjusted.Upon the spindle, around which the cable is given a complete turn, ismounted a hand crank which is accessible to the person in the basket.If, un-- der the influence of the weight of the person or other ballastemployed, the position of the basket should not be horizontal, theoperator by turning the crank may change the relative position of thebasket to cause it to occupy the desired or horizontal rela Havingbriefly outlined my improved com I struct-ion, I will proceed todescribe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved aerialapparatus. Fig.

.2 is a section taken through the basket of the same, the propellingmechanism being shown partly in section and partly broken away and on alarger scale than Fig. 1.

Thesame reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.-

Let the numeral 5 designate a base plate upon which is mounted asuitable framework 6. Upon one extremity of this base plate is mounted amotor 7, whose crank shaft 8 is equipped with a beveled gear 9 meshingwith the two larger gears 10 engagingthe same on opposite sides thereof,whereby they are rotated in reverse directions. ,These gears are looseon shafts 12 which are suitably supported on the framework. To one gearis attached a cone pulley or drum 13, while the other is equipped with agroove pulley 14. An endless belt or cable 15 connects the pulley 13'with a similarly but oppositely arranged pulley 16 fast on a hollowshaft 17 whose lower extremity is equipped with a collar 18 having acircular groove to accommodate ball bearings which engage the ball racewhich is a stationary coiiperating collar 19 fast on the framework 6.The pulley 14 is connected by means of a belt 20 with a similar pulley21 fast on the inner shaft 22, whose interiorly.

lower extremity is provided with a collar 23 having a circumferentialgroove forming a half race for hearing balls, whichalso engage a'similargroove formed in a stationary collar 24 whichis faston the framework.-The inner shaft 22 passes through the outer hollow shaft 17 and occupiesa central osition therein, being spaced by means 0 ball bearing collars25 and 26 with .which the two shafts are provided, one surrounding theshaft exteriorly and the other The upper extremity of the central shaftis equipped with a propeller 27 composed of a hub 28, inclined blades29, and an exterior rim or ring 30, which engages the outer extremitiesof all of the said blades. These blades are suitably inclined, wherebywhen the propeller is ro- Y tated in a given direction, namely, that indicated by arrow 31, the tendency will be for the apparatus connectedwith the propeller to move upwardly.

Located below the propeller 27 a second propeller 32 mounted on theupper extremity of the hollow shaft 17 and provided with inclined blades33 extending outwardly from a hub 34, the outer extremities of theblades being connected by a ring 35. The blades of the propeller 32 areinclined in a direction opposite the inclination of the blades 29 of thepropeller 27 By virtue of the operating gears and belts interposedbetween the motor and the shafts, as heretofore explained, thepropellers 27 and 32 are caused to rotate in opposite directions, thepropeller 27 rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow 31 and thepropeller 32 rotating inthe direction indicated by the arrow 36. Byvirtue of the reverse movements of the two propellers, theseinstrumentalities cooperate to lift the apparatus and cause it to travelthrough the caused to travel at the same speed whereby any tendency ofthe. basket or car 37 to rotate is neutralized or overcome, as hereandlower bracket arms 42. Upon each ofthese arms is journaled a groovedpulley 43 engaged by a cable 44 which engages three of the pulleyswithout passing around the same. The fourth pulley, however, being oneof the upper pulleys of the car, is completely encircled by the cable.This pulley is also fast upon its spindle or shaft 45, one extremity ofwhich is provided with a hand crank 46. The opposite extremities of thecable 44 are connected with ears 47- of a collar 48 located above acollar 49 secured to the shaft 17 by a fastening device 50. When theapparatus is in operation, I shall assume that the basket or caroccupies ahorizontal position, while the propeller shafts are inclinedat a suitable angle, being preferably approximately that indicated inFigs. 1 and 2. By virtue of the fact that the greater weight of theapparatus mounted above the platform 5 is at the left thereof, there, isa tendency for the platform to tilt, as indicated in the drawing,whereby the two shafts are given the inclination illustrated. Thistendency should be sufficient to, prevent the shafts from assuming thevertical position as the vessel in the atmosphere. In other words, thenon-equilibrium of the structure must 'be such as to maintain thedesired or necessary inclination of the propeller shafts in order tocause a forward as well as an upward travel of the apparatus.

The car or basket 37 is hingedto the base 5 of the propelling mechanism,as shown at 51. Of course the car may be equipped with ballast in such amanner as to regulate the relative position of the car or basket, andthe inclination of theshafts. The weight of the operator must also beconsidered, it being possible for him to so adjust his position so as tochange the inclination of the shafts according to his will and thereforeto guide the machine in any given direction. After everything is in thecar and suitably arranged, the person'in charge, by proper manipulationof the pulley 43 whose spindle is provided with a crank arm, may adjustthe car to occupy the horizontal position regardless of the inclinationof the propeller shafts. It will be understood that if the basket or caris in a position inclined to the horizontal, if the pulley 43 be turned,the basket or car, which is lighter than the operating mechanism, willhave its position changed accordingly. In other words, the pulley 43,around which the cable makes a complete revolution, will travel eitherupwardly or downwardlyupon the cable, according to the direction of thecranks rotation, thus changing the position of the car or basketaccordingly. If we assume that the car is in such position that theupper right hand pulley 43 is higher than the corresponding left handpulley, the turning of the shaft provided with the crank arm, in theproper direction will cause the pulley to move downwardly upon thecable, whereby the distance between the said pulley and the point wherethe cable above the pulley is connected with the collar 48, isincreased. Again, if the basket occupythe reverse position, so that theupper right hand pulley occupy a lower position than it should occupy,the movement of the crank would be in the opposite direction, wherebythe last named pulle is caused to move upwardly upon the ca 1e,imparting a corresponding movement to the portion of the basket withwhich the said pulley is connected.

The function of the ratchet 38, and the pawl 40, is to cause thepropellers to inter-' lock during the descent of the apparatus, wherebythe propellers will present suflicient resistance to the atmosphereduring the downward movement of the apparatus, to cause the latter togradually descend in the event of accident, or when for any reason itmay be necessary to utilize the re sisting power of the propellers.

When it is desired to va the relative speed of the shafts 17 and 22, t ebelt 15 may be shifted on the cone pulleys 13 and 16 by.

the use of alever 52 .fulcrumed on the frame work, as shown at 53." Thislever is within nipulated at will.

convenient reach in the car and may be ma- From -the foregoingdescription .the use and o eration of my improved aerial de- .vice Wlllbe readily understood. Assuming that the mechanism is arranged asillustrated in the drawing, it will be understood that when the twoshafts, together with their propellers, are rotated in reversedirections with sufiicicnt speed, they willdevelop the necessary powerfor raising the v apparatus in the atmosphere. By reason of the changeof movement of the occupant or occupants of the car, or by shiftingballast of any kind therein, the position of the apparatus may bechanged to vary the inclination of the shafts, or indeed to cause themto occupy a vertical position. During this change it is evident that theposition of the car may be changed from the horizontal to an inclined"position. This, however, may be quickly remedied by the adjustment ofthe cable-circumscribed pulley, whereby the car will be returned to itsnormal position. i

ing around the car and over the rollers, the

extremities of the flexible devices being connected in operativerelation with'the framework, and means for tilting the framework,substantially as described.

2. Aerial apparatus, comprising a car, a framework arranged within thecar, and hinged thereon so that the framework may be tilted below thebottom of the car, the car having a flexible device passing entirelyaround the car and connected at its oppositeextremity in operativerelation with the framework, and means for operating the flexible devicefor tilting the framework, substantially as described. a

3. Aerial a paratus comprising a car, a framework hinged to the car sothat the same may be tilted below the bottom of the car, and a flexibledevice passing around'the car and connected at its opposite extremitiesin operative relation with the framework,

substantially as described. In testimonywhereof I 'atfix in presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN J. DONNELLY. Witnesses:

my signature

